New Water Deal

This interesting email was received from a Slovakian group seeking a New Deal program, like that instigated in the US during the 1930s Depression - but with a focus on water. They request that, in order of priority, all rainwater be harvested on the spot where it falls, or that rainwater be retained, and only finally, when the first two steps are insufficient, it be discharged through the river bed. The translation is not great, but its so good to see this sort of rhetoric in other countries of the world.

People's Garden

The US Department of Agriculture is embracing sustainable food and is even building a 1,300-square-foot organic vegetable garden as well as ornamental flower gardens and bioswales, or mini-wetlands designed to reduce pollution and surface water runoff.  Secretary Tom Vilsack states "If I had to summarize the vision I have for this department in one word, it would be 'sustainable.' "

Crop and Pasture Journal

Extract from an Abstract of Crop and Pasture Science Vol. 60 No. 4:

A long-term study was made during 1995-2002 at Indore, India, to evaluate the effectiveness of 3 organic manures [farmyard manure (FYM), poultry manure (PM) and vermicompost (VC) at varying rates] and biofertilisers (Azotobacter + phosphate solubilising bacteria) on productivity, grain quality, soil fertility, and profitability of a wheat-soybean cropping system.  The highest productivity was obtained with poultry manure at 10t/ha, which even performed better than NPK. Microbial biomass C and activities of phosphatase and dehydrogenase were increased significantly with applications of manures.

Nitrogen Out of Thin Air

Spinning the nitrogen budget for a broadacre cropping program out of thin air sounds too good too be true, but thanks to Australian innovation, it's now reality. Several trials have shown Mapleton's freeze-dried bacterial product, TwinN, is capable of fixing 30-110 units of nitrogen from the air into the soil, depending on rainfall, while delivering other agronomic benefits.

Farmers Ignored

Farmers will not be represented at the Bushfires Royal Commission after the Victorian Farmers Federation's application to appear was rejected. VFF president was "shocked and disappointed" with the decision, given the key role that farmers play in land management and fire prevention.

Extinctions in Australian Wilderness

During recent decades, scientists have been recording a vast decline in the original mammal fauna of north Australia. In the past five years, for most species, that decline has become a death spiral. The picture is consistent across the north: in parks and in Aboriginal reserves, in pastoral country, in pristine rangelands, in coastal swamps. At the centre of this jigsaw puzzle lies fire, the chief force in the northern landscape.

Disappearing Butterflies

Last year was a disaster for butterflies in the UK: the lowest number recorded for 27 years. Of Britain's precious 59 resident species, 12 experienced their worst ever year since the scientific monitoring of butterfly numbers began in 1976. A number of reasons are hypothesised including fragmented habitats and farming - and of course climate change.

Baffling Meat Admissions

What's going on? MLA has stated publicly that no amount of best practice can do much about a cow's digestive system. WHAT!! They also pretty much bow down to the supposed ecological damage driven by livestock. I'm personally flabergasted, but it got me thinking about why no-one is looking at the differences between feedlot and managed pasture fed livestock (or the whole paddock carbon cycle for that matter)...what stake does the feedlot industry have in the MLA? With this argument you could claim that feedlots do get more meat per hectare and limit the amount of 'necessary' tree free areas...

Is Meat Good for You or Not?

With all the conflicting information coming in about meat, it is starting to cause confusion. This report helps dispel many of flaws in statistical science and opens it up to some facts - for example, charred or processed meat is not great. Unfortunately the myth about saturated fats continue - despite the small inclusion that Omega-3 fat is brilliant for you...one day that myth will be busted too. 

Industrial Food

The green pastures and idyllic barnyard scenes portrayed in children's books have been replaced by windowless sheds, tiny crates, wire cages, and other confinement systems integral to what is now known as "factory farming." Makes you think about what you are eating, and the natural choices that are available and need supporting. My stomach was knotted throughout this.

Biosolid Woes

In theory, recycling poop is the perfect solution to the one truly unavoidable byproduct of human civilization. Turning sewage into a potent, inexpensive fertilizer means cleaner rivers and oceans. But as sludge has spread across the country, so have concerns that it may cause as many environmental problems as it solves. Sludge's dirty secret is that it may contain anything that goes down the drain - from Prozac flushed down toilets to motor oil hosed from factory floors.

Vaporising Rubbish

Gasification, and its cousin plasma gasification, involve heating waste to a high temperature inside a sealed chamber. This is done in the near absence of oxygen, so organic components in the waste do not burn but instead reform into syngas, a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. This can be filtered and chemically "scrubbed" to remove toxic particles and gases, and then burned to produce energy or converted into other fuels such as methane, ethanol or synthetic diesel.

Canadian Organic Website

I have just been led to Canada's national website for organic research and education which has a lot of articles such as organic wheat breeding, reducing the risk of feather-pecking in laying hens, marketing information, job opportunities and much more.

Two Fatal Flaws

The Carbon Sense Coalition says that the Senate must reject the "Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme Bill" on the basis of its "Two Fatal Flaws" - the science and the economics. The CPRS is not supported by independent scientific assessment, nor does it present any credible cost benefit analysis.

The Debate is Not Over

The National Farmers' Federation has thrown its backing behind controversial climate change dissenter, Professor Ian Plimer, whose new book aims to debunk the theories and dire predictions of some within the scientific fraternity. "Now, before I'm carted to a stake for public torching, I'm not saying Professor Plimer is right, nor that his colleagues with differing views are wrong. Just that it's about time we had a balanced, informed discussion and debate... free from vilification of those who dare to question conventional wisdom."

Missing Sunspots

Could the Sun play a greater role in recent climate change than has been believed? Climatologists had dismissed the idea and some solar scientists have been reticent about it because of its connections with those who those who deny climate change. But now the speculation has grown louder because of what is happening to our Sun. No living scientist has seen it behave this way. There are no sunspots.

Statistics but No Data for GM

Biotechnology's ability to increase crop yields have been questioned and claims that successes to date have not been the result of genetic engineering have been put forward in a recent report. Unsurprisingly the biotech industry has hit back - but curiously without any hard yield data - just waffling statistics and making links using generic terms about corn or soybean yield increases - not specifically GM corn or GM soyabean. Yet only they are allowed to collect data (remembering that independent scientists are blocked from doing GM research).

Mixing GM and Non GM Canola

Grain handler Graincorp has announced that genetically modified (GM) varieties of canola will be mixed in with the main crop in this year's harvest. Graincorp says farmers who want their crops rated as non-GM will have to pay for testing of their grain. I am absolutely stunned - segregation was one of the main concerns raised during the GM moratorium. Promises were made....and assurances given that non GM farmers would not be burdened. Where is the public outrage?? We are being lied to.

Taking Action

Large food companies can make a huge difference simply by having policies that refuse ingredients from genetically engineered (GE) crops. Your voice as a consumer can persuade companies to adopt GE-free policies, and consequently farmers to stop growing GM crops.

Genetic Research a Blind Ally

One of Britain's top geneticists, said the belief that a few genes held the key to ridding the world of conditions such as cancer and diabetes has proved to be "plain wrong". His intervention is likely to trigger a debate into the usefulness of genetic research in Britain and the world, and on whether the hundreds of millions invested would be better off spent elsewhere.

Lead Clouds

Lead in the air is causing clouds in odd conditions -in conditions typically too warm and dry for cloud formation-according to scientists who've "bottled" clouds and even grown their own. The "extra" clouds form lower in the sky which allow more of Earth's heat to escape into space. Oh, how very little is known about our climate - yet we act so boldly...

Military Embraces Green Energy

Inside a futuristic-looking dome that rises from the sandy wasteland of the high Mojave Desert, soldiers in plywood cubicles work at computers powered by solar panels and a towering wind turbine. Plug-in cars shuttle the troops across the vast expanses and at night, tents lined with insulating foam provide a cool retreat at the end of a 100-degree day. Some believe that the military has the potential to become a catalyst, helping to turn more expensive power sources into financially viable alternatives to coal and petroleum.

Energy Efficient House of the Future

The energy-efficient house of the future could have gardens on its walls or a pond stocked with fish for dinner. It might mimic a tree, turning sunlight into energy and carbon dioxide into oxygen. Or perhaps it will be more like a lizard, changing its color to suit the weather and healing itself when it gets damaged. Wow, the creativity of unleashed ideas.

What's New...

Although Nutri-Tech Solutions are featured regularly in this newsletter, they recently came on board as featured sponsors, and I thought it an opportune time to highlight my associations with the company, and my friendship with Graeme Sait in particular. Many years ago I decided to move on from my research and development role in the industrial hemp industry, and started to follow Graeme's articles in Acres Australia. As a trained entomologist, I was enthralled by the links being made between minerals, soils, plants, insects and health....it all made brilliant sense.

It took a year to find the courage to contact Graeme with a resume - a week after posting it, I became their first agronomist! And what an experience and steep learning curve it became - for all of us. As well as learning the biological approach to mineral balancing, the role of soil biology was just starting to take off, the role of energy in agriculture was being explored, and educational courses were pulled together. At least another 100 products were put on the shelf, and by the time I was ready to take all this wisdom back to rural Australia - another 4 agronomists had been trained up!

I have been distributing Nutri-Tech products since with great success - but as many who follow this newsletter know, at the end of last year I made the decision to focus solely on my family and this newsletter, so have passed my business over to others (see Featured Sponsors).

The passion and drive behind Graeme's vision for agriculture and human health is extraordinary - he is responsible for an awful lot of positive change occurring around Australia and the world, and is non stop in his pursuit of ever more knowledge to mold into easy-to-read information packages. If you haven't already - I challenge you to pick up one of Nutri-Tech's Nutrition Matters newsletters, they are guaranteed to get you thinking. Contact me for copies.

Rural Innovation Awards

Innovative young Australians with ideas to help shape the future of our rural industries can apply for up to $50,000 under a national awards program. Young Australians aged 18 to 35 years who work or study in primary industries can apply for the 2009 Science and Innovation Awards for Young People in Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Applications close 30th June.

Landscape Rehydration

I have been invited to rant and rave about one of my pet topics - landscape rehydration; along with Bevan McLeod of McLeod's Agriculture; and Gerald Wyatt of Classic Livestock , who talks about fine bones and meat quality, and the art of grazing and pasture management. Should be a great day - Milmerran 18th May.  Landscape Rehydration 09 28/04/2009,05:41 382.97 Kb

Pasture Cropping Workshop

A 2-day workshop and field day featuring Colin Seis talking about Pasture cropping - a zero till technique of sowing annual cereal crops into living native or introduced perennial pastures. The crop grows symbiotically with the pasture, leading to real and advantageous benefits. Clifton Qld 11-12 May.  Pasture Cropping May 09 28/04/2009,05:48 105.85 Kb

Farming&GrazingforProfit Course

The final Farming&GrazingforProfit(tm) schools in NSW this year are fast approaching- Narrabri 22-28th July, Forbes 5-11th August. Improve your land, improve your profits and tackle the issue of climate change head-on. This is an approved course under the FarmReady Reimbursement Grant program and in addition, many of the Catchment Management Authorities are also offering assistance to their landholders to attend this course!

Elaine Ingham Tour

Elaine Ingham of the Soil Foodweb Institute is doing a tour around Australia in May June highlighting the science behind soil health and fertility, ending in a university course at Southern Cross University, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it 15th - 26th June. I highly recommend attending any of these events - its a perfect way to get a handle on how it all works and what is currently understood by the researchers to date. Venues and email contact links are: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it 13th - 15th May, Mildura (Ph: 08 8087 3628) 20th - 22nd May, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it 28th - 29th May, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it 1st - 2nd June, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it 9th - 10th June.

Health

Cervarix Harm

It's the cheaper version of Gardasil being used in the UK - and is already linked to nearly 1,500 adverse reactions! But the NHS has not changed its advice stating that it is irresponsible to raise fears over vaccine safety in the absence of scientific evidence that points to safety concerns. Curiously in this article a UK advocate claims "the majority of reactions [to Gardasil in Amercia] have been proven to be because of the process of the vaccination rather than the vaccine itself". That is news...I have been tracking Gardasil since its launch and that's never been raised in the American media.

Ho'oponopono

Wow, what an interesting and challenging way to heal yourself and others - the true and universal meaning of taking responsibility for yourself (and your reality). Ho'oponopono means loving yourself in Hawaiian and the following story tells the rest. Dr Len is holding workshops in Perth 9-10th May and Brisbane 16-17th May.

Curious Avian Flu in Egypt

An unusual pattern of avian flu cases are occuring in Egypt - almost all are in toddlers - has led some flu-tracking Web sites to speculate that dozens of silent cases are circulating there. Its intriguing that there is no hint that perhaps contaminated vaccines with H5N1 (the human form of avian flu) could be the cause - surely this should be considered when the victims are all toddlers of vaccination age...

And its interesting that the new swine flu outbreak in Mexico has the unique genetic combination of human flu, avian flu and 2 swine flus...certainly an interesting combination, or should I say 'manipulation'? If nothing else, it is certainly an indictment of factory farming.

More Folic Acid Concerns

Canadian researchers have discovered that folic acid consumed during pregnancy can alter the gene function of offspring, potentially affecting their susceptibility to disease. Worryingly, folic acid supplements are a standard recommendation for pregnant women, and food manufacturers are required to add folic acid to enriched flour and grain products in Canada. Australia is thinking of doing the same with their flours.

Vitamin D and Autism

As evidence of widespread vitamin D deficiency grows, some scientists are wondering whether the sunshine vitamin-once only considered important in bone health-may actually play a role in one of neurology's most vexing conditions: autism. High incidences of autism in Somalis immigrant children in both America and Sweden seem to link the fact that Somalis were getting less sun than in their native country-and therefore less vitamin D.

Aspartame Harm?

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) said there was no indication that aspartame causes cancer - yet studies continue to show aspartame's multipotential carcinogenicity in rats at a dose level close to the human ADI. Gosh, who do you trust?

Vitamin Bs and Migraines

Vitamins B6, B12, and folic acid may reduce the frequency, severity and disability of migraines. While not mentioned, microbes in a healthy digestive system actually produce Vitamin B. Why buy supplements, when it can be made in situ for free?

Why MSG is So Dangerous

Monosodium glutamate is a widespread and silent killer that's worse for your health than alcohol, nicotine and many drugs is likely lurking in your kitchen cabinets right now. It is used in canned soups, crackers, meats, salad dressings, frozen dinners and much more. It's found in your local supermarket and restaurants, in your child's school cafeteria and, amazingly, even in baby food and infant formula.

The War Against Critical Doctors

The international drug company Merck had a hit list of doctors who had to be "neutralized" or discredited because they had criticized the painkiller Vioxx, a now-withdrawn drug that the pharmaceutical giant produced. "We may need to seek them out and destroy them where they live," a Merck employee wrote, according to an email excerpt read to the court.

Irradiated Food Causes Brain Damage

A company testing the effects of irradiated food on growth and development reported that some cats fed such a diet developed severe neurological dysfunction, including movement disorders, vision loss and paralysis. It appears to be the result of demyelination. When cats were removed from the diet, demyelinated axons slowly became remyelinated.

Acid Reflux - Too Little Acid

Typically, acid reflux is thought to be caused by having too much acid in your stomach. But there are over 16,000 articles supporting the fact that suppressing stomach acid does not treat the problem. Too little acid decrease your body's ability to kill Helicobacter bacteria which is responsible, or at least a major factor, for producing many of the symptoms of acid reflux. Diet, and particularly good quality salt are natural solutions.

Cartoon

Miscellaneous

The best way to rob a bank is to own one....and how true that really is. This is an explosive interview with William K. Black, a professor of economics and law, who alleges that American banks and credit agencies conspired to create a system in which risky loans could receive AAA ratings and zero oversight, amounting to a massive "fraud" at the center of U.S. finance. What's more, Timothy Geithner, President Barack Obama's Secretary of the Treasury, is currently engaged in a cover-up to keep the truth of America's financial insolvency from its citizens and the rest of the world.

Events

The calendar is playing up (though there is light at the end of the tunnel), so most of the links below are directed back to other websites where possible or to a contact email address.  

* Ho'oponopono workshop with Dr Len - Perth WA 9th - 10th May 2009.

* Pasture Cropping Workshop - Clifton Qld 11th - 12th May 2009.

* True Fertility with Elaine Ingham - Gippsland Vic This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

* Ho'oponopono workshop with Dr Len - Brisbane Qld 16th - 17th May 2009.

* Landscape Rehydration - Milmerran Qld 18th May 2009.

* Making Soils Productive with Elaine Ingham - Mildura Vic 20th - 22nd May 2009.

* Macquarie 2100 Soil Foodweb Workshop with Elaine Ingham - Trangie NSW This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

* Healthy Soils and Healthy Future with Elaine Ingham - Biloela Qld This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

* NACC Soil Biology Workshop with Elaine Ingham - Geraldton WA This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

* Soil Foodweb Interactions - Lismore NSW This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

* RCS Farming&GrazingforProfit - Narrabri NSW 22nd - 28th July 2009.

* RCS Farming&GrazingforProfit - Forbes NSW 5th - 11th August 2009.

Postscript

What a beautiful way to explain it!

An economics professor at Texas Tech said he had never failed a single student before but had, once, failed an entire class.

The class had insisted that socialism worked and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equaliser. The professor then said ok, we will have an experiment in this class on socialism.

All grades would be averaged and everyone would receive the same grade so no one would fail and no one would receive an A.

After the first test the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy. But, as the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too, so they studied little.

The second test average was a D. No one was happy.

When the third test rolled around, the average was an F.

The scores never increased as bickering, blame, and name calling all resulted in hard feelings and non would study for anyone else.

To their great surprise, all failed. The professor told them that socialism would ultimately fail because the harder it is to succeed the greater the reward, but when a government takes all the reward away, no one will try so no one will succeed.